Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Somaliland, the independent, though
internationally-unrecognized, nation that broke away from Somalia in the early
1990s, has long tried to draw a distinction between itself and its much
better-known neighbor to the south.While Somalia seems to be in a perpetual state of conflict and anarchy,
Somaliland has remained relatively quiet and prosperous since breaking away
from Somalia, Somaliland even completed a rarity for Africa – a relatively peaceful
transition of power between rival political groups at the ballot box.

But government actions last week threaten to undermine this
carefully crafted image that Somaliland is trying to present to the world.On Sunday, the government of Somaliland
announced that they were shutting down the television network Horn Cable TV for
allegedly airing “anti-government propaganda”.To make matters worse, the government then arrested 13 journalists who
were part of a protest in Hargeisa (Somaliland's capital) against the closure
of Horn Cable TV, according to the National Union of
Somali Journalists, in what they called “a blatant misuse of powers”.The National Union of Somali Journalists
contends that Horn Cable TV was shut down for reporting on a meeting by tribal
elders who were pushing for increased autonomy from the Somaliland
government.For their part, the
Somaliland government says that the journalists' protest was illegal and that
one of the journalists struck a student with the butt of a handgun he was
carrying, which prompted his arrest.

Though still internationally
considered part of Somalia, several neighboring African nations, like Ethiopia,
maintain quasi-official diplomatic relations with the Somaliland
government.Somaliland also issues its
own currency and is trying to grow its tourism sector to boost the local
economy.

Mission Statement

Why A World View? Because I was frustrated by the lack of international news coverage in the American press. Sadly, foreign events usually only make the news when there’s a war or natural disaster someplace. But the world is more interconnected than ever, what happens on the other side of the globe can have a direct affect on your life. So I started this site to cover some of these stories missed by the mainstream media, and to provide analysis and context to others. And my goal is to do it in a way that you don’t feel like you need a PhD degree to understand what’s going on.